212 



CRUSTACEA. 



The Beckoning Crabs {Geladmus)* have one of the claws, some- 

 times tleri^^bt, sometimes the left, much larger than the otheiN and 

 th^ pincer^of the smaller forceps shaped like a spoon. These 



Fig. 162.— third stage of siioke ckae. 



creatures live in burrows, which they excavate upon the sea-shore, 

 and close the entrance by means of their large claw, tl'e d.sprqjor- 

 tionate size of which is thus fovmd to be a wonderful and beautiful 

 adaptation to their habits. Their burrows are cylmdnca and earned 

 obUquelv into the ground to a very considerable depth, ihey are 

 met with in great numbers, placed close together, but are usuaUy 

 ^habited each by a single individual. From these crabs having 

 the Imbit of flourishing their large claw as if they -ere becko^^g 

 to some one at a distance, they have received the name of CalLmg 

 Crabs" (Cancer vocans). They pass the winter m their burrows, 

 without stirring abroad, and only visit the sea to lay their eggs 



The Cocoa-nut Crab iBirgus) is said to climb the cocoa-nut 

 palms for the sake of procuring their fruit ; but Mr. Dai™ says tha 

 it merely lives upon those that have fallen upon the ground. Its 

 front pair of legs is terminated by very strong and heavy pincers, 

 the last pair by forceps which are narrow, and of a weaker structure. 

 \fter havin- selected a nut fit for its dinner, the crab begms its 

 iperations by tearing off the husk, fibre by fibre, from tliat end whero 

 the three holes are situated ; it then hammers upon one of them with 

 its heavy claws, until an opening is m.ule, through which, by means 

 of its hinder pincers, it extracts tlie white, albummous substance of 

 tlie nut It inhabits deep burrows, where it accumulates sur- 

 p isinc^ quantities of picked cocoa-nut husks, on which it rests as on 

 abed" Its habits are diurnal, but every night it is said to pay a 

 visit to the sea for the purpose of moistening its branchiae It is 

 very good to eat, and the fat accumulated under the tail of the 

 larger ones sometimes yields a quart of oil. , -i^ k^ ,,.^ . 



Dr Gardner, in his "Travels in Brazil," says that whie he ^^ a. 

 near Eio San Francisco, he amused himself with watclnng t lie 

 operations of a small species belonging to tb« f ^^«^^f ^"f""^^' ^^l 

 was either making or enlarging its burrow m the sand. A W onc*^^ 

 in everv two minutes it came up to the surface witli a quantity ot 

 Ld enclosed in its left claw, which, by a sudden jerk, it ejected to 

 Tdistance of about six inches, always takmg care to vary the direc- 



* 7€A.aco, gelao, to laugh at or ridicule. 



